Chapter 234 – The Test Begins
Chen Xi stood before a door.
Since he started plundering until now, he’d already obtained almost 100,000 Sky Jadeliquid Pills, a Sect Guarding Sword Formation formed of over 10,000 high-grade earth-rank swords and nine top-grade earth-rank swords, a few tens of thousands of various equipment refining materials, and numerous precious spirit materials…
If all these treasures were coupled together and exchanged for spirit liquid, it would simply be an astronomical figure. If it was in the southern territory, possessing such wealth was sufficient for one to establish a medium sized sect.
Regretfully, after plundering until now, he hadn’t encountered any jade slips that contained cultivation techniques, Dao Grade martial techniques, weapons refinement techniques, pill refinement techniques, and talisman crafting techniques.
Perhaps there are some books behind this door. Chen Xi was just about to push open the door and enter when he suddenly heard a wave of the sounds of the air being torn apart behind him.
“Kid, so you’re here!”
“Hahaha! Let’s see where you flee, you detestable kid.”
“Dammit! 10 spaces were wiped clean by you, and you didn’t even leave us some scraps. You’ve simply gone too far!”
“Bastard! Hand over the treasures, then kneel down and receive your death!”
Along with the sounds of the sky being torn apart, a wave of enraged curses sounded out, and Chen Xi didn’t have to guess to know that it was surely Huangfu Chongming and the others.
Unfortunately, these people chased after me too quickly, and I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to take all the benefits in the future. Chen Xi thought like this in his heart, yet his movements weren’t slow in the slightest. At the instant he heard the sound of air being torn apart, he didn’t hesitate in the slightest to push open the door and flash into the exceedingly spacious hall.
When he clearly saw the scene in his surroundings, he couldn’t help but be stunned.
Unlike the space behind the doors from before, this hall was deep and spacious, with a myriad of stars in the sky and the ground covered with mountains and rivers that were vast and magnificent, and it was like a piece of land, causing shock in the hearts of all.
Neither its boundaries nor its end could be seen, and this was a marvelous space that was vast to an unknown point, whereas, at the place the sky and ground were connected stood an upright statue.
This person was extremely tall with a cold and murderous appearance, his head supported the sky while his legs stomped on the ground, and he stood towering within the heavens and the earth as if he’d stood there for a myriad of years and would remain eternally unmoving.
Seeming to have noticed Chen Xi’s arrival, an ancient and vast aura abruptly effused out of the enormous statue, and practically at the exact same time, countless dazzling golden lights suddenly shot out explosively from all the apertures on the enormous statue’s body.
Rumble!
Thunderclaps that were rose like tidewater resounded out, whereas, the destructive force on the enormous statue circulated out from every single aperture on its body, and Chen Xi was faintly able to hear a wave of a grand chant that was like the Sanskrit being chanted by the heavens.
The entire heavens and earth seemed to be filled with the figure of this enormous statue at this moment, extremely bright golden lights and boundless might was emitted out, causing the statue to seem like an ancient god that had been resurrected from the dead, and it caused others to feel that they were tiny.
Meanwhile, Huangfu Chongming and the others had flashed into the hall successively.
“Brat! You really fled quickly, let me see…” The voice stopped abruptly, just like Chen Xi, his entire mind and soul had been awed by the lofty figure that stood on the ground while supporting the heavens.
“Hmm? What happened…” Not long after Huangfu Chongming and the others entered, An Qianyu, Wang Daoxu, and Zhen Liuqing flashed over successively, but when they clearly saw the enormous figure, their pupils constricted as well, and they were shocked to the point of being dazed.
Along with this stone statue revealing this shocking phenomenon, intense changes occurred throughout the entire Qian Yuan’s Treasure Vault. Those cultivators that were still held up outside the Eight Path Formation at this moment were teleported here by a shapeless force, and they were completely stunned by the scene before them as soon as they recovered from their shock.
At this moment, with the addition of Chen Xi, who was a Golden Hall Realm cultivator that had slipped into Qian Yuan’s Treasure Vault a long time ago by relying on the Boundless Secretrealm Discovering Pearl, all the Golden Core Realm cultivators that had entered the treasure vault were gathered at this boundless space. Their hearts and minds were awed, and they were dazed and speechless.
Rumble!
Amidst the chanting that shook the heavens and the earth, the eyes of the stone statue with a cold and murderous appearance suddenly emitted a wisp of a strange light that was bright and dazzling. His right eye emitted an extremely bright light that seemed to rise slowly like the sun and bring light and vitality to the myriad of living creatures and the world, whereas his left eye was instead pitch black like the night sky and was circulating with boundless and limitless darkness that was filled with emotionless forces like annihilation, death, coldness, and slaughter.
One black and one white, one clear and one muddy; they formed a pair of eyes that caused the hearts of countless people to palpitate in fear and feel reverence, and it seemed to be looking down on the world and examining the myriad of living beings, and it assaulted one’s mind and soul extremely intensely.
“The Dao of Sky reports to the indistinct heart of the sky, and it enforces justice on behalf of the heavens; the Dao of Origin returns to the silence of nothingness, it conceals evil and boasts good, and it uproots all sin. My name is Qian Yuan[1. His name translates to Sky Origin which is where those two Dao references above were derived from.], I flew into the heavens to comprehend the heart of the sky and descended onto the earth to watch all evil. I left this treasure vault for it to be taken by those who are fated, and it can be considered to be an act of benevolence that’s a great virtue.” Suddenly, a sonorous voice that was like a bell droned as it rolled throughout the heavens and the earth, and it was like the chanting of the Sanskrit by the heavens, causing the heavens and the earth to actually produce the magnificent scene of falling flowers from the sky and golden lotuses blooming from the ground, and it was extremely unbelievable.
Amidst this chanting, everyone present felt their entire bodies and minds were washed completely, and the reverence in their hearts towards the statue grew thicker.
“The Dao is bestowed to those who are fated. I’ve especially set up three tests, and those that pass will obtain the treasures, and those that fail must withdraw instead. Be sure to remember to act according to your capability and not allow greed to burn your hearts and search for a shortcut.” As soon as the voice finished speaking, the statue that stood while holding up the sky abruptly transformed into a myriad of bright lights with a bang, and they curled up into the sky before vanishing. The surroundings instantly recovered its prior overcast cold and silence.
Everyone instantly felt as if they’d entered into a space filled with whiteness, and the surroundings were extremely quiet, and everyone remained alone.
——
The surroundings were completely white and seemed like mist and smoke that rose into the sky. Chen Xi heaved a sigh of relief in his heart after he looked around in his surroundings. He knew that he’d already been separated from the others, and he wouldn’t have to worry about Huangfu Chongming’s group swarming over and attacking him.
This is the trial area left behind by the owner of the treasure vault, hmm? Chen Xi sat cross-legged on the ground and was just intending to instruct Ling Bai to be a bit more careful when he suddenly noticed that little fellow seemed to have been confined within the Buddha’s Pagoda, and was completely unable to hear him speaking. Moreover, Chen Xi was incapable of summoning Ling Bai out of the Buddha’s Pagoda.
Could it be that there’s a mysterious and strange restriction here? Chen Xi was apprehensive in his heart. Right at this moment, he saw the exceedingly dazzling white lights in his surroundings ripple like water before suddenly transforming.
Swoosh!
A white clothed figure of light suddenly appeared from within the white light, the figure’s backbone was ramrod straight like a sword, and when he carefully examined it, Chen Xi noticed that this figure of light was actually exactly similar to him, and seemed like his twin.
Of course, he understood in his heart that this figure of light was absolutely not him, and it was formed from the dazzling white lights in the surroundings.
Actually, it wasn’t only Chen Xi. At this moment, the others like Huangfu Chongming, Lin Moxuan, Xian Linger, Liu Fengchi, Man Hong, An Qianyu, Wang Daoxu, Zhen Liuqing and the others; all of them were in a similar situation as Chen Xi. They were in a space that was completely cut off from the outside world and faced a version of themselves that were condensed from the dazzling white lights.
“The first test, Slaying One’s Self. Killing your opponent constitutes a pass. Bear in mind that only the first 12 will be able to obtain a Dao Grade martial technique inheritance.” The sonorous voice sounded out once more in the surroundings, it was indistinct yet icy cold and firm, and it didn’t contain the slightest feeling.
Dao Grade martial technique? Only the first 12 are able to obtain one? Chen Xi thought in his heart.
Swoosh!
The figure of light before him took a step forward, and its speed was swift like a bolt of lightning as it instantly arrived before Chen Xi and stabbed out with its sword.
Divine Windwing Flight!
Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture’s Xun Sword of Wind!
A cultivation at the perfection-stage of the Golden Hall Realm!
In an instant, Chen Xi immediately noticed that the attack technique, movement technique, and strength of this figure of light was actually exactly alike to him!
Slaying one’s self. Perhaps this test is one that requires defeating one’s own self… As his thoughts flickered within his mind, Chen Xi’s movements weren’t slow in the slightest as the Gale Sword left its sheath, and he attacked ferociously.
When he was in the Oceanic City’s Treasure Heaven Pavilion, Madam Shui Hua had once instructed a female attendant to give Chen Xi ten top-grade profound-rank swords. This Gale Sword was one of those swords, and it formed a set with the Sky Lightning Sword. He still had another set of five element swords, a set of Yin and Yang composite swords, and a Starverse Sword.
“The Xun Sword of Wind!” Chen Xi’s right wrist shook as the Gale Sword was like a wisp of an agile and soaring fairy of wind that fluttered indeterminately as it intercepted the attack.
The Xun trigram represented wind, and wind represented freedom without the slightest restraint. When it was fierce, it split seas and shattered mountains; when it was gentle, it was like the stroke of a willow leaf. Amongst the eight great sword moves of the Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture, Chen Xi’s grasp of the Xun Sword of Wind was the deepest. Moreover, when he used it against an enemy at this moment, he did it after careful thought.
After all is said and done, the first test set by the owner of Qian Yuan’s Treasure Vault, Slaying’s One’s Self, was a test to defeat one’s own self. If one wanted to defeat one’s own self, then one had to fight head on and firmly suppress the other in all aspects before it could be considered as truly defeating one’s own self. If one tried to resort to trickery, then perhaps one would forever be unable to pass this test.
What was the reason for defeating one’s own self?
It was for the sake of strengthening one’s path to the Dao, to be fearless towards the past, fearless towards the future, and never retreat within the vast Grand Dao. This wasn’t a competition of technique and strength, but a test of the Dao Heart, and the strength of one’s Dao Heart was the core of this test.
Hiss~ Hiss~ Hiss~
The Xun Sword of Wind against the Xun Sword of Wind, the two swords were like agile wind that fluttered indeterminately in the sky as they tangled with each other and shot out sword lights, yet they weren’t fighting head on with force, but instead seemed to be finding the others weakness.
Om!
When the figure of light saw it was unable to do anything to Chen Xi, it promptly decided to change the sword move and transformed to the Li Sword of Fire that was like scorching flames that raged violently as it set the prairie ablaze.
Chen Xi similarly swapped to the Li Sword of Fire and charged over to greet the figure of light head on.
Just like this, the eight great sword moves of the Myriad Convergence Sword Scripture were changed mutually by the figure of light and Chen Xi as they fought each other, and they were locked in battle for a time.
However, in the next moment!
Pu!
A muffled sound was emitted as the figure of light suddenly had a hole penetrated on its throat, and it once again split into white lights before vanishing.
Even though its strength was equal to mine, yet an inanimate object is inanimate in the end. So long as my Dao Heart is firm, and I sever all obsessions, sever my ego, and sever any heart devils, then it would be unable to do anything to me. So how could it possibly be a match for me?
Chen Xi shook his head. Everything he’d experienced during these past few years had long since tempered his Dao Heart to the point of being fired like steel and hard like a rock. How could he possibly be beaten down by an image of himself?
“If one cultivates and cultivates, yet is unable to control one’s heart, then how can one transcend all living beings? If one seeks and seeks the Dao, yet is unable to restrain one’s mind, it’s insufficient to become immortal.” The sonorous voice sounded out once more. “Congratulation on being the fourth person to pass the test. Please select one of the remaining nine Dao Grade martial techniques and kindly accept it.”